Real Estate News from August 2011

Christmas won’t be going to the dogs this year. Instead, it’s going to the Little Monsters, Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters. The famously over-the-top, theatrical singer is taking over the Christmas displays at Barneys in Manhattan this year, giving the Grinch a run for his money as ‘top Christmas thief’ and Santa a break from the classic Christmas displays that are usually found at Barneys.
The famous window display and store announced that it will be touched by Gaga this November as the 2011 holiday window display gets turned into Gaga’s Workshop, giving Lady Gaga a chance to create her own interpretation of Santa’s Workshop. Along with the window display, the singer will also take over an entire floor in Barney’s: something that has never happened before. The fifth floor Men’s Store will be Gaga-fied along with the Madison Avenue window display.

The Department of Transportation is looking into developing a bike lane in Chelsea. In the wake of a cyclist's death caused because of the lack of a bike route from the Hudson River east to the East River, the city is trying to make it safer for bikers to commute to and from their homes on bicycle. It is a dangerous game that bikers play on the streets of Manhattan that don’t have bike lanes, trying to avoid getting hit by trucks as they pedal to their destination and flags have been warned of deaths and injuries due to this issue.

The first rule of fight club has changed from the mandatory silence of its members to a proud, deafening roar issued forth by the women who now comprise it. Situated in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, Women’s World of Boxing, founded by Teresa Scott, offers boxing classes specifically designed for women, as explained in a DNAinfo article. It all started about eight years ago, when Scott found herself weighing in at 250 pounds. She had tried everything, from boot camps to gyms and a variety of fitness classes. After all of these failed, she decided to attempt something a bit more radical; namely, the systematic bludgeoning of an opponent within the boundaries of the ring’s ropes. However, she immediately faced the challenge of trying to enter into a largely chauvinistic world that seemed unable, or at the very least, unwilling, to accept her into its community. So she took matters into her own hands...or perhaps more aptly, her fists of fury.

After years of complaining, residents of Manhattan’s Washington Heights have finally convinced lawmakers to step up their game concerning the removal of litter and graffiti from the streets of this historic NYC neighborhood. As explained in a DNAinfo article, several different groups and politicians have made the clean-up of Upper Manhattan a priority. City Councilman Robert Jackson, for example, has officially allocated $25,000 dollars toward the effort, with the goal to “keep all storefronts, roll-down gates, sidewalls and street furniture graffiti-free.” Jackson’s office has teamed up with several other organizations, including Community Boards 9 and 12, Washington Heights-Inwood Coalition, Hamilton Heights Business Assocation, the Bodega Association of the United States, and the Community League of the Heights to name a few.

In contrast to our traditional notions that playgrounds are for children, John Jay Park on Manhattan’s Upper East Side has announced the creation of a play-area for senior citizens. Within its boundaries there already exists an area designed for children, which features a section aimed to entertain toddlers as well as a pool and water fountains for older children. However, with the help of Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, the chair of the NYC Council’s Aging Committee, the project has procured $250,000 to transform the Southeast corner of the park on 76th street between York Avenue and FDR Drive into the perfect place for mature New Yorkers to relax and exercise. And of course, into the ideal setting for senior-style frivolity.

One of Manhattan’s smallest historic districts, Gansevoort Market in the Chelsea Neighborhood, is perhaps its trendiest. Lined with high-end designer shops, restaurants, and now the renowned High Line, the Meatpacking District, which roughly mirrors the Gansevoort Market Historic District, is hotter than the High Line’s steel rails during a heat wave.

In true New York style, powerhouse rap duo Kanye West and Jay-Z have opened a store in Nolita. There’s one twist, however: the store only sells their new collaboration album, Watch the Throne. Yes, only in Manhattan would there be a store dedicated solely to selling one album. A temporary affair, the 201 Mulberry Street store is an attempt at lost revenue from file sharing, which the duo claim is their biggest threat to success.

In Midtown Manhattan, a new movement has begun, with residents rallying together in an attempt to plant more trees in their neighborhood. More specifically, as explained in a DNAinfo article, the West 54th-55th Street Block Association has petitioned the NYC government to plant at least several dozen trees on 55th Street, between Fifth and Seventh Avenues, as well as 56th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Aside from the obvious aesthetic improvements that would go hand in hand with the reformation, there are more practical reasons as well. Some residents are desperately seeking momentary relief from NYC's baking sun. Explains Elena Volkova, a board member of the block association, "When you walk down West 55th in the summertime, you really feel like you need more protection."

Many of Manhattan’s top restaurants are very difficult to get a reservation in. On top of that, the meals at these restaurants are expensive. However, a new trend in Manhattan restaurants allows many to experience the fine dining experience. However, there is a catch with this trend: the restaurants are all temporary.

Only in New York City could an open lot become a green, quasi-suburban mecca, and at Ludlow Street it’s becoming a reality. The Timeshare Backyard at 145 Ludlow Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side brings some greenery to what is otherwise a very built-out area of the city, but with a twist of course. For only a small fee, the Timeshare Backyard is the perfect place to get some private open space for you and your friends, and only for the rest of the summer.

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